Harold "Red" Grange (born June 13, 1903; died January 28, 1991) was an American football player, primarily at halfback, who helped to launch the popularity of professional football in the 1920s. After a spectacular career at the University of Illinois, he became the showcase player of the first American Football League. Even his star appeal was unable to make it a viable venture, however, and after it folded Grange entered the National Football League. He played for several seasons and helped get pro football onto the sports pages of newspapers outside of the Northeast, where the professional game had been largely ignored before him. He was nicknamed the Galloping Ghost, and, in what seems incongruous to fans today, was famous for wearing the number 77, as the concept of certain numbers being restricted to certain positions had not developed at this time. Statistics for the early period of pro football are not particularly meaningful, as teams often played several games a week, often not against other league teams but independent or "barnstorming" teams, but there remains little doubt that Grange was one of the best players of the era.